


The Way Back

by lalablue0



Series: Noraverse [1]
Category: Prospect (2018)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bakhroma Green, Consensual Underage Sex, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, POV Alternating, POV Original Female Character, Past Domestic Violence, Pedro Pascal - Freeform, Permanent Injury, Prospect (film), Prospect 2018, noraverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23521009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalablue0/pseuds/lalablue0
Summary: Cee brought Ezra back to the freighter a broken man. It just so happens that the doctor on the freighter is his lost love. Ezra needs to recover from his wounds and he dares to recover his love.
Relationships: Ezra/Nora, ezra and nora
Series: Noraverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750858
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15





	The Way Back

**Author's Note:**

> When I watched the film I took issue with the likelihood that Ezra would probably die without proper medical care. This was my way to remedy that. As such there is some descriptions of injuries and some medical terminology, but I tried to keep it pretty basic. Poetry is original and served as inspiration for the chapters. The original character was named via a random name generator website. Originally it choose my mother's name and I wasn't comfortable naming a character that was be the lover to my currently fixation after her. So second choice was Nora and I like the name so... I know the fandom for this particular movie is small, but I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read the story. I know my writing style is odd, but it is what it is. 
> 
> ** The link to the next chapter in chronological order appears as next work rather than chapter. **

**The Way Back**

Tragic lives, surrendered bliss.

Count the stars, lingering kiss.

Touch me deeply; hang on tight

Count the stars, wild nights.

Fall quickly, break easy.

Lose yourself in the moment

Fleeting as it may be

don't waste time on resentment

or trying to persuade me.

This is the inevitable end.

Of the sweet folly we enjoyed.

We didn't break or bend

we were just destroyed.

Nora had been on the Kaslo freighter for more than a year now. It had been one of the easiest contracts she had had since getting her medical license. Most injuries were related to harvesters accidentally stabbing themselves trying to get to the aurelac gems the green moon of Bakhroma was famous for. They had been orbiting the toxic moon for the last three months. A few cases of broken bones due to unforgiving terrain and a few overdoses of spice rounded out her experience. All in all, it was the best case scenario considering the abysmal medical bay she had to work with. Supplies were limited at the start. Much of the equipment didn't work or was so outdated it wasn't worth using. Even the lighting left much to be desired.

It was the easiest contract she ever had. Until...

She knew it was Ezra the moment she saw him. How could she miss that shock of platinum blonde hair at his right temple. The color, or lack thereof, was not a fashion choice. It was a birthmark, a white forelock, that didn't allow pigment to the hair that grew from it. It was the most visible of the three he had.

The second one was an almost perfect circle on the back of his left thigh. He hadn't known about it, till she pointed out one night. He had spun himself in circles trying to see it for himself. When he had finally fallen over dizzy on her bed, after the laughter died down, she produced a mirror for him.

“Well isn't that something,” he huffed when he saw the near spherical shape in the middle of his thigh. He studied the spot for a few moments before he handed her the mirror back, “Wonder what else I don't know about myself,” he questioned. They stayed up all night going over every inch of his body and cataloging every freckle and white hair.

The third birthmark cut a swath of stark white hair through the contrasting, near black pubic hair. It was a half inch wide and three inch long set of white curls that ran from the base of his penis out towards his left hip. She found that one before the one on his thigh. But since it was her favorite, she always saved, savored, it for last.

The sight of him brought back many memories. The sight of him unconscious and bloody snapped her back to reality.

She spent over three hours trying to get him stable enough for surgery. Ezra was a mess. Her brain was far too occupied with the fact that his right arm had been very recently amputated. When something goes missing, whether it is a memory or functionality, it's depressing. Not just for the patient, but for the people closest to them. She wondered if it had anything to do with the even more recent stab wound in the middle of his chest. He had lost a fair portion of his blood. The fine dust and spores of the green moon had seeped into the wounds. Infection already set in.

Nora cataloged the many silver scars that lined Ezra's body. Each one was a story and she wondered if she could keep him alive long enough for him to tell her about them.

Large headphones covered his young companions ears as she paced back and forth outside triage. She couldn't have been more than fifteen. Nora vaguely recalled seeing the girl on the Kaslo freighter in the last six months. She was with a different man then. One that had visited her med bay more than once for pain relief.

Nora couldn't begin to piece together what string of events united Ezra and the girl. But her face made it clear that she genuinely cared about what happened to the man on her table. Nora could only hope that she could keep Ezra alive.

–

When the surgery was over, she came to sit beside the girl, Cee. She looked scared.

“My father died on The Green. He is all I have left.”

Nora nodded gently as if it all made sense somehow. “How do you know Ezra?”

Cee pulled her knees closer to her chest. “He saved me.”

Nora shut her eyes. She knew Ezra a long time past, but that didn't seem like something he would do. She didn't need to know details and Cee didn't offer any at that time.

Soon, however, rumor of the Queen's Lair spread like wildfire on the freighter. That the man in the medical bay knew where it was. The freighter conductor even delayed their departure from the Bakhroma Green in hopes of Ezra waking and revealing the location. Three more rotations for another chance at the slingback. 

Cee had come to Nora and explained what happened on The Green. She knew where the Queens lair was. Cee was smart enough to know how the 'verse worked and she had nothing but Ezra and he had nothing.

Under the guise of returning to the surface to retrieve her father's body, Cee led Nora to the Queens Lair. With Nora's steady hands, they plundered the site. They hid the gems in Damon's body.

It was Cee's idea.

–

The freighter left orbit later when it became evident that the man might not survive his injuries. Nora placed Ezra in a coma in hopes of giving his body a chance to recover. The infection that resulted in his arm requiring removal had taken residence in his chest. She was critically low on antibiotics. They were weeks away from the nearest base.

Cee rarely left Ezra's side. She read out loud to him from a book she had handwritten. Nora recognized the story from her med school years. But Cee's was different. There were parts she didn't remember. She wasn't sure if it was Cee's own writing or maybe she had recalled it differently, but it didn't matter so much. Nora was glad that she didn't have to be alone with her thoughts. Alone with Ezra so broken.

“How long ago did you know him?” Cee asked her one day.

Nora tilted her head. “Was it that obvious?”

Cee sniffed. She looked down at her feet and played with the hole in her sock. “You asked how I knew Ezra, but I had never told you his name.”

Nora laughed. “Good catch. Last I saw him was years ago...” She exhaled deeply as she calculated the math in her head, “ten years ago, actually.”

Cee continued picking at her socks as she spoke. Nora was unsure if she didn't feel comfortable with the conversation. “Did you love him?” She inquired.

“With every ounce of my being.” Nora responded plainly before she even had a chance to stop herself. Truth, Nora found, came without hesitation.

“What happened?” She asked, finally looking at her.

–

It was a little apartment on the outskirts of Kybalta's capital city of Volsa. Completing her medical license meant a rotation on the underserved moon. Ezra had felt more at home in the tiny space than any other place they had been in their relationship. To help support Nora he took any job he could. They were young and the young could shoulder the physical labor that most companies were looking for.

Ezra worked as a miner in the black hills that bordered the northern edge of Volsa. The underground tunnels ran miles deep, digging for a rare ore that could be smelted to make radiation shielding. It was long hours and dirty work and Ezra loved every moment.

They both worked similar hours and spent any free time they had together. Lingering in bed, he placed soft kisses over her face and neck. His strong, calloused hands seemed to want to touch every part of her at once.

“My sweet tiger lily, I fear I had forgotten what you have felt like under my touch,” his slow drawl reverberated against her cheek, “I am so sorry it has been so long since I have given you the pleasure you so rightly deserve.”

“You've been busy.” she smirked as she rubbed her fingers up and down Ezra's biceps, “I get it. But we're together now.”

“That we are, my love.” Ezra continued kissing down the length of her neck to her bare chest. Kissing her right nipple then her left. A gentle suckle, ending with a nibble. His body shifted as he made his way down past her breasts and towards her navel.

With one hand he cupped her between her thighs and spread them open. He placed gentle kisses across her pelvic bone as he went further south still. His right hand dipped deeper between her legs spreading her lips apart. She inhaled and held her breath as he slipped two fingers into her.

“You're so wet,” Ezra smiled as her back arched off the bed.

“Just for you,” she purred.

Ezra set the pace as he fucked her with his right hand and stroked the hardness of his cock with his left. Nora's hips bucked against his hand. She reached down her torso and began to finger her clit with expertise.

“Oh yeah, rub your pussy.” he breathed out between strokes, “You're a masterpiece, my love.”

“Oh Ez. Fuck me, please. I want you so -,” Nora started before her body writhed as his fingers hit her sweet spot.

Ezra shifted once again between her thighs, positioning himself to tease his cock against her slick folds. “As you wish, my love”

He pressed the tip of his cock against her and slid himself inside. She exhaled against his chin as he placed kisses on her face. Their eyes locked and soon they fell into a familiar cyclicity. The sound of their heavy breathing and skin slapping together in a sloppy rhythm. They didn't need a lot of dirty talk. They had a shared experience and knew each other like the backs of their own hands. He knew that she occasionally liked a slap to the ass. She knew that he loved when she swallowed. Together they melded as one. A love felt so deeply, they never thought it could be undone.

It had been their last time together.

–

“What happened?” Cee questioned.

Nora exhaled, “He got lost.”

Cee considered her for a moment. She then nodded. She continued picking at her socks. “Do you still love him?”

Nora sat back against the wall across from Cee. She sighed and a sad smile passed her lips. “It's complicated.”

“No,” Cee said as she stood up and puttered over to Ezra, “It really isn't.”

Cee stroked Ezra's hair away from his face. His face was pale and covered in a layer of sweat. With his eyes closed, he looked so much younger than his actual years. The intubation had been required after Nora discovered the dust had settled into Ezra's lungs.

“I wish it wasn't complicated, but Cee, I haven't seen him in so long. I've changed. I'm sure that he has too.” Nora said as she came to stand next to Cee, “I can't even be sure he'd even remember me.”

“You'll find out when he wakes up,” Cee said with the confidence that only a child can possess.

It took everything in Nora's power to not follow with “if”.

It had been a long week. Every time it seemed like Ezra was making some progress, another complication seemed to bring him two steps back. She knew that the longer a coma lasted, the less favorable the outcome. Even medically induced comas. Being in a coma is traumatic. There are tubes coming out of every orifice to regulate heart rate, breathing, urine output and body temperature.

Coming out of a coma is equally traumatic. It's a slow process; trying to get from point A to point B. Some people just settle for point A.5; never fully recovering to their former selves.

Nora had said her goodbyes to Ezra while Cee had slept. She kissed his forehead and stroked his face. She cried her tears and mourned his loss for the second time in her life.

–

Kybalta was a political hotbed of activity. While the planet sat on the edge of the core, it was treated very much like a fringe planet. There was a large migrant population, come from all over the 'verse to work her mines and cater to the masses. But like other fringe planets, wages did not correspond to the labor output. The big companies that operated on Kybalta kept the profits for themselves and stuck it to the workers.

When the political climate seemed to reach its climax, there were resulting protests and riots almost daily. It kept Nora busy at the hospital. Ezra spent more time in the mines.

There was a line drawn in the sand. Cross it and face the consequence. There was always the question of What If. What if a particular event in your life went differently? What if you had said yes? What if you had turned left? What if you had never killed that man?

The cacophonous voices overwhelmed every other sound.

Time stood still for what seemed an extraordinary amount of time. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. It wasn't like he'd never seen death before. He knew death. All living things eventually died. From the majestic mountain ranges to the simplest single celled organism. The passage of time was just a perception.

Why would this death warrant his time? It was likely the portents of this death were broadcast in screaming chaotic chatter across the universe. The screaming faded to whimpering the moment the heart stopped beating. This death should not have been of any importance to Ezra.

The life that had been extinguished imbued such vehement loyalty and a fierce love of family. The life was generous and charming. The life had been greedy and received comeuppance at Ezra's hand.

Death was one of the first. Forever and infinity were just concepts that have yet to be experienced. Death that is neither good nor evil. It just is. Death that does not discriminate.

This is the Death that watches him now.

Their eyes were wide and unblinking. The fear that they had endured during their final moments was still evident on their face. Ezra's heart pounded in his chest, reminding him he was still alive and he needed to move.

He shifted through the onlookers. The thought occurred to him to hide his face, but walked with his head held high. No one took what was Ezra's. No one.

–

Nora had moved into the med bay with Ezra, staying in a cot by his bedside. She had given up her quarters in trade to a pair of floaters who had much needed antibiotics and some Saters juice. There was still another week before they reached the base. She had sent a communication to the best medical center on the Pug, but they made it clear they wouldn't even take Ezra without some assurances on payment. Cee offered all the aurelac if it meant Ezra would be treated. Nora, instead, offered her services. Licensed doctors were a rarity and they readily accepted.

The Saters juice had a very positive effect on Ezra. Nora was able to take him off the ventilator as he began to breath on his own. He was still battling an infection, but both Nora and Cee took this as a win.

Nora showed Cee how to take Ezra's vitals, how to read the monitors and how to administer the antibiotics so she could get some much needed rest. They took shifts looking after him so they were not so stretched thin. The toll of round the clock care was starting to weigh on them both. Nora was the only one who worked the med bay. The help that Cee provided was invaluable to Nora.

They had gotten to know each other fairly well over the past two weeks. Cee had spent more time with Nora than she had with Ezra. Nora had revealed more of herself to Cee than she had to anyone else since Ezra.

\--

Ezra's eyes wrinkled when he smiled. His face was carved deep with laugh lines from too many good times to count. His laugh was infectious. He created an air of confidence and cockiness around him. When she was with him, it was almost guaranteed she would have a smile pasted on her face. He worshiped at her altar.

Rarely did anyone get to see the real him. The frightened child afraid of losing the woman he loved. The angry man who despised what he had become. The restless lover unable to find pleasure with the person he most desired.

The bruises were dark and angry. They appeared very quickly after the fight. They didn't speak for days, trying to pretend what happened never happened. That Ezra hadn't killed a man for taking his ore. That he hadn't roughly grabbed and hit Nora when she tried to leave to clear her head. It was a mistake and he apologized after. He was still running high on adrenaline, she had kept telling herself. She knew he could be aggressive with the love making on occasion, but she didn’t know how bad of a temper he could possess.

“My beloved, please, will you look at me?” Ezra asked as he sat on the edge of the bed at Nora's back, “I will spend my life making up for my misdeeds, but I do think I can atone for laying hands on you. I will try to, if you let me.”

Nora still would not look toward Ezra. He reached out to place a hand on her hip, when she jumped off the other side of the bed. Ezra closed his eyes. “You are frightened of me. I cannot believe that I have tarnished our shine. I am a fool. I can only offer you my sincerest apologies. I know that is not enough. Not in the least.”

Nora stood facing the wall and listened as Ezra's footfall retreated out of the bedroom and finally out of the front door. It was only after the door closed that Nora allowed herself to breath again.

–

Nora had reduced the medications that kept Ezra in a coma. However his persistent fever meant that he wasn't quite ready to wake. Random eye opening, mumbling, and limb movement at least gave Nora hope that maybe he would indeed recover.

Nora gave Cee several books that she had tucked away. Nora thought that Cee would just read to herself, but instead she read out loud to Ezra. She enjoyed reading to Ezra.

“--The weight of this sad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.” Cee read from the well worn heavy hard covered book entitled The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

“...Not what we ought...”

Both Cee and Nora looked to the bed. Fevered eyes were open but clearly unfocused. Ezra smiled into the ether and closed his eyes again.

“Ezra?” Cee questioned softly. She stood slowly and hovered over the bed. Nora moved to the other side of the bed.

Nora noted the numbers on the monitors. Nothing had really changed, but for the briefest of moments Ezra stirred. His eyes opened again and they immediately landed on Cee.

“Little bird,” Ezra smiled again. His eyes were glassy but he held her stare.

Cee's grin split her face. She took Ezra's hand and clenched it tight in hers.

“I must say that this heaven is most unexpected,” Ezra spoke clearly and succinctly.

Nora inhaled deeply. Her mind experienced so many thoughts at once.

Ezra turned his head towards Nora and shook it, blinking slowly. A flash of recognition crossed his face. “Now I know I am truly departed.”

“See, I told you he'd remember you,” Cee reminded Nora.

“I've missed you, wife” Ezra stated as he pulled his hand from Cee's to reach out to Nora.

“Wife?” Cee questioned, raised eyebrow.

Nora's face twisted with the guilt of having kept such important information from Cee. “I may have left out a very critical detail.”

–

Our hearts, our bodies, our souls are melded together as one.

A passion felt so deep it cannot be undone.

The repression of memories and fears of a long ago age,

have faded into the background when you opened my cage.

You showed me everything I am and capable of being.

You opened up a world full of beauty worth seeing.

You saved me from the desperate thieves and liars.

You rescued me from the burning hell fires.

You successfully purged me of my dire addiction

You gave me peace and tranquility during a time of contrition.

I give the unconditional surrender of my control,

Of my heart, my body and my soul.

__

_“I've missed you, wife” Ezra stated as he pulled his hand from Cee's to reach out to Nora._

_“Wife?” Cee questioned, raised eyebrow._

_Nora's face twisted with the guilt of having kept such important information from Cee. “I may have left out a very critical detail.”_

Nora reached out and took Ezra's hand. His long fingers curled around hers. His grip was weak, but he squeezed as hard as he could. He shifted as well as he could in her direction. “Oh! My beautiful Nora. It really is you. I surely have died, because my soul is complete once more.” His smile reached his eyes. His glassy brown orbs shined even under the dim medical bay lights.

Nora felt the tears pooling in her own eyes. She felt the flutter in her chest and she leaned into Ezra's space. Her forehead touched his and she couldn't help but kiss his lips. Her thumb traced the familiar scar on his cheek. She squeezed her eyes tightly and never felt so thankful for her skill in healing. He was alive. He was coherent. He remembered her. She could feel his breath on her skin. She could taste the salt on his lips.

Nora sighed and glanced toward Cee, “I told you it was complicated.”

–

She should probably start at the beginning. She's not quite sure what the beginning actually was, so she starts with the first day of their second year. It was the first time she met him. He was new that year. He was in her first class. Chemistry. Since she hadn't a friend in the class she was sitting alone and he sat next to her. They didn't really speak until their third class together. Home Ec. He smiled coyly and accused her of following him.

“I think you're the one following me.” she joked. “I mean come on. You don't look like the kind of guy who takes Home Ec.”

“Well, I am sure to be full of astonishment and contrast,” He laughed.

He had soon found that she was too. When he stepped in the mechanical shop and found her to be the only girl.

“First year I was accidentally scheduled for shop. Best thing that ever happened to me.”

“It seems to be a recurring theme to our day,” he smiled. Something about her had appealed to him. Something in her smile. Something in her eyes. Something stirred deep inside him. He smiled. She kicked the dirt at her feet and tucked her hands in her pockets.

They clicked.

Like most love stories in the 'verse they found themselves drawn to each other completely and almost to the detriment of all else. They were young and curious and committed to making the other the center of their world.

The sounds were the most prominent. The sound of flesh slapping together in a rhythm that defied the senses. The sound of their hearts, pounding in their ears. The sound of their bodies bumping against the wall with that same beat. Above it all, the barely audible groans and half syllables. The sounds they liked best.

"Someone-could walk in," She barely eeked out the words between the crush of kisses he placed on her lips.

He paused abruptly and she was left with hazy vision and a heaving chest. His eyes stared through her, like she just definitely killed the mood.

The verge of losing all that she held dear. There are so few things that mattered to her. He was her one constant. No variables. Regardless of the annoying things he does, he was her one true love.

The sight of his hair sticking up and matted down in all the wrong places. The tangled limbs that stretched and curled around her. Even in the darkness she could see the glisten of sweat formed above his brow. His eyes dark with passion, lust and pain. His eyes are the window to his soul.

The smell of sex was thick and sweet. It hung in the air like a fog in the early morning. She inhaled the scent and was able to discern what is sex and what is just him.

She dared to take a taste of him. Kissing and licking the sweat from his upper lip and his unshaven neck. He tastes like he smells. Musk, and salt.

But the feeling. The touch. That is where her senses reeled. He began to move in her again. His body tensed. He was tight and hot. His body trembled when he came. His cum was slick and warm on her bare belly. She developed goose bumps in the chill of the night air. He felt like home.

–

“What's going to happen to me when we reach the Pug?” the words spilled out of Cee like a cascade.

Nora paused. “Well, I hadn't considered it. I guess it was presumptuous to assume you would wish to remain with me.”

Even though Cee wasn't facing Nora, Nora could see Cee's cheeks rise with her smile. Nora carefully weighed her next statement before continuing, “With us.”

Cee turned to face Nora, “You're staying with him?” She looked downright hopeful.

“I made a commitment to the medical center on the Pug. Ezra still has to clear his infection and he'll need physical therapy. If you want to stay with us, you'll have to go to school. You would be a considerable help to me in regards to Ezra and --”

Cee cut off Nora by her sudden embrace.

“Yes. I want to stay,” Cee wiped the tears from her eyes with her palm and sniffled.

Nora returned her embrace and placed a gentle kiss on Cee's forehead. “I got you kid.” When Cee had shared her floater upbringing with Nora, Nora had vowed to give her a home.

Nora had insisted that Cee pack up her drop pod and get some sleep. Tomorrow they would dock and make their way down to Puggart Bench. They would take Ezra to the medical center and she would go to work.

Nora took a few moments while Ezra slept to review possible places they could stay. She had spent years drifting alone from system to system, the company that Cee had given her the past three weeks was so special to her. The adolescent had become a friend and Nora couldn't help be protective of her. To care for her. 

She was looking forward to a home.

–

Ezra had died several times before. He had always received a last minute reprieve that allowed him to continue to draw breath. He joked that Death had never had such trouble collecting a soul before him. He would tell those who would listen it was because his soul was incomplete.

He watched Nora in the dim light of the med bay. He had been sleeping for far too long. Now that his eyes were open, he intended to keep them that way. Ezra's body was his own. His soul intact. His instinct was as sharp as his wit.

The sway she had over him was intoxicating. He breathed her in at every opportunity. She was the single most beautiful creature he had ever looked upon. In all his travels, from planets to the smallest way stations, he had never laid eyes upon anyone as exquisite as her.

He remembered dancing and laughter and feasting. He remembered moving in her. Feeling hands, hot like lava across his skin. He remembered sounds and colors and tastes. He remembered the dark and how easy it was to move. He remembered himself.

He could see the faces of those who cared about him. They each shared the look of pity. Pity for him. Pity for the pain he feels. Pity for something they cannot understand.

Soon the rush would kill the pain. Kill the ache. Kill the feeling of loss. Kill the feeling of abandonment. Soon the rush would take him away.

Bodies blurred into an endless wave of color and shape. Their voices, a cacophony of the most beautiful and most terrifying sounds ever heard. The chorus of voices fade to nothing. The field of battle was drenched in blood. None remained standing. Ezra had hailed himself victor. The air smelled of copper, sweat, and corpses of rotting flesh.

When he drifts, he dreams of her. Always her.

–

Ezra remembers his mother.

He remembers that she smelled of apples and vanilla in the winter and of bananas and grapes in the summer. He remembers that after his sister, Jada, was born, she smelled of baby powder and baby shampoo.

He remembers her brown hair shining in the midday sun when she brought him to the park. He remembers her soft hands as they held his as she pushed him on the swing and tickled his belly.

He remembers the way she tried to protect him from his older brother, Dig. He remembers the way she would hide with him when Dig got too rough. 

He remembers her warm breath as she kissed him goodnight and whispered "goodnight my love" in his ear. He remembers she would leave the door open a crack. Just in case.

He remembers the bear hugs and wet kisses. He remembers that she made the best baked goods of anyone in the colony. Fresh baked breads and cakes throughout the day. The sweet comforting scent wafting through town, begging people to stop by to say hello and have just a taste.

He remembers the soft curve of her belly when Jada was not yet born. He remembers her stroking his hair as he held an ear to her belly to talk to his baby sister.

He remembers the love she exuded from the very depth of her soul.

When she died during the outbreak, he was heartbroken. Inconsolable for months after. He stopped speaking and drew in on himself.

“What of your sister?” his father inquired, “She's too small to remember. Who will tell her about her mama?”

Ezra remembers his mother because he knew Jada didn't. He began talking again so he could tell his little sister all about their mother. He learned new words from the big books he found in the library at school so that he could assign his stories with the language her memory deserved.

\--

Nora could actually see the cunning workings of his mind for just the briefest of moments. Fear; a remnant of his former life, was slowly fading into something else. Something unfamiliar.

“I see we still fear the stillness of night,” Ezra said gently. The sound of his anticipation was quiet. His eyes bored into her as she rose from her cot to stand beside him.

“Not fear,” She said as she grasped his hand in a way that hid the fact she was checking his pulse, "Precaution."

Ezra briefly closed his eyes as the unorganized thoughts moved front and center in his brain. He swallowed hard.

“I accept defeat and beg you to finish this,” Ezra stated with pleading eyes. The look on his face was intense. His eyes were wide and shooting glances back and forth at her. His tongue darted in between his lips, leaving them glistening with fresh moisture. The look would almost be comical if he still weren't still so pale and sweaty.

The floorboards creaked and bowed under her feet. For the first time that day, she had been so sure of something, so much she was frightened. Actually frightened.

“Damn it all to hell!”

She reached for him and began to kiss him. Deep, passionate. She was kissing him like she kissed him all those years ago. He felt like he was floating.

When she broke off the kiss she heaved heavily against his lips, still gripping the sides of his face. “You won't be rid of me so easily, Ez. We're going to the Pug together. We're going to stay with you as long as it takes. We're yours.”

“We?”

Nora laughed a bit and kissed Ezra again. “Yeah, silly. You, me and the kid.”

Ezra smiled widely. “A proper family. Now I know I have perished. All my good intentions are on the horizon. I am too unfortunate to have such treasures in my life.”

Nora pushed back from him. “Don't say that. You always do that. You always did that. Put yourself down,” He looked almost childlike and innocent. "Things we love and want always require work. You keep putting in the work."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her face next to his. She inhaled the scent that is uniquely Ezra. He held her forearm and leaned into her embrace.

“Take leave of me now, I am tired and I know you have some things you’ll need to attend to.”

There were no victors to be made on this field of battle. No one, not even God, could predict the outcome. Flesh and blood held near unbreakable bonds. A man tormented with the truth of the 'verse as it was on that day. Nora would stay for Cee. As soon as he was well, he feared they would both leave him.

He shook his head slightly and turned the thought out of his mind.

–

Translate the pain into fire.

Indicative of the numb sensations.

I am on the edge of the weakening.

I am burning alive without a flame.

Poor little baby crying all alone.

No one hears you scream in your solitude.

You whisper into the roar of the crowd.

Why does it mean so much to you?

This restless soul arguing with fate?

I've seen the light within the withering dark.

Faded lines on the cracked walls.

Haunted by thoughts and actions past.

Fearful of a future that you thought you wrote.

Taking back what fate had destined for me.

Forgive this imperfect person.

–

Ezra couldn’t fathom this idea of loneliness. He felt a burning of determination in the pit of his stomach. He dressed in the garb of the healers and took off down the hallway. The foul stench of the hall was almost enough to make a man vomit, but he managed to hold back the churning of his stomach. Through to the front doors where the crowds of people had thinned in the later morning hours. He maneuvered his way through the labyrinth of persons and headed for the exit. Finally reaching the open air of Puggart Bench. The leaves were already turning yellow. What a disappointment.

His adrenaline was pumping. Coursing through his veins like a poison. He had to find her. He had to know that there was meaning. Her kisses ghosted on his lips leaving him breathless. Breathless and his vision swimming. The air was too thick and too thin and he coughed. His chest was tight as he pushed off the wall and pitched forward. A piece of paper with Cee's writing clutched in his hand.

The effort of the day could not be lost to foolish consequences. There had to be a chance to salvage the things he once took for granted; the ability to reestablish meaningful relations with the other half of his soul. He could not allow their interaction to end sour when finding her again had been such sweet bliss.

–

“I was compelled.” It was the only honest answer Ezra could put into words.

Nora stood in front of him with her fists firmly planted on the side of her hips. “Compelled?” she spit the word like it was venom.

Ezra went to sit upon the sofa. She could see that his journey to their home had taken a toll on him. Which is probably why she went after him so hard. He was supposed to be at the med center. He was supposed to be laying in a bed, hooked up to monitors and an intravenous drip of antibiotics. He was not supposed to be sitting in her living quarters, looking like death.

He leaned back against the cushions and shut his eyes tightly against the harsh overhead light. Nora could see the veins in his neck throbbing; indicative of pain.

“A hospital is not conducive to recovery and you know this,” Ezra stated. He didn't even look at her. He didn't have to. She knew what he meant. Hospitals are cold sterile places that are loud and confusing. Hospitals are hotbeds for germs and bacteria and viruses and all the things that make one sick.

Nora just stared at him. She was forced to leave her shift early when Ezra made a break for it. She isn't sure how he managed to find their place. She and Cee hadn't even been there only but a week. Living quarters were hard to come by in the capital city. One aurelac gem got them a small first floor four room family flat for a period of one year. Nora had figured it would be that long before she could get Ezra back into prime condition. Seeing him sit in front of her after less than a week on the Pug, she looked defeated. Ezra remained still on the sofa. Afraid to move for a chance of pain.

“Where is Cee?” Ezra asked after a moment.

“She's where she is supposed to be. School,” Nora explained. She had reflected on past deeds like they were as fresh as the day rising over the ridge. But she would have none of the sun. He was attempting to make a bit of conversation. The words seemed lost as soon as they had been spoken.

Just then the front door opened and Cee stepped in. She froze when she saw Nora and Ezra. She pulled the headphones from her ears and the room suddenly filled with her music.

“What's going on?” She questioned, “Why aren't you in the hospital?” Cee put her backpack down and went to sit next to Ezra.

“Oh little bird, I am recovered. I am ready to be getting back to work in short order,” Ezra said with a wink and a smile.

Cee looked to Nora and raised an eyebrow. If she hadn't known that Ezra wasn't her father, she would have thought that she got that expression straight from Ezra himself.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

–

Hours passed like seconds. Seconds passed like hours. He had desired to be done with this madness and get on with more important undertakings. The setting sun illuminated the brown in his eyes and bathed his skin in a golden twinkle. She watched his chest heave heavy breaths.

“You are my queen, my goddess. You are my salvation and my sin. I love you,” Ezra said as soon as Nora opened the front door, while on bended knee, “You are the only one who can save me from the wrinkling hands of time. I love you. Be my wife.”

Nora blinked at him slowly.

“You play with my head and leave me anxious, good woman,” Ezra chuckled nervously. He could only bear witness to her love and silence. His once seemingly sensible self, suddenly had doubts.

The words suddenly caught up in her sleep addled mind. The smile broke across her face and her cheeks disappeared her eyes.

“Yes.”

He rose from his position on the floor and took her into his arms. He kissed her. Their first kiss of their engagement. The thoughts of how many firsts there would be in store for them made him joyful.

“I want you,” he whispered in her ear. His hand made its way down the front of her pants. She gasped and threw her head back, giving him opportunity to show affection to the soft maw of her neck. He pressed his lean body harder into her. His kisses left behind a trail of red irritated skin from his growing stubble. His strokes strong and rhythmic in between her slick folds. Her breathing was quick and heavy.

She reciprocated the action by sliding her hand down the front of his trousers. He couldn’t control himself. He withdrew his hand from her pants and immediately began to unbuckle his own. She freed his throbbing cock and pulled a few gentle firm strokes before she guided him by his hips toward their sofa.

He sat down gladly. He shifted his hips so she could have full access to his swollen glans. Now he had her on her knees before him. He was in awe of her beauty. Her grip firm and her spit slick on his cock. Her eyes never left his. Fevered and purposeful.

Her mouth opened wide and his cock disappeared inside, only to reappear bright with her saliva. She kept her eyes on his eyes as long as she could. Soon she fully committed to giving his pleasure.

“Your mouth is far too good for my kiss,” Ezra crooned.

He could feel the heat rising up from both their bodies. The fire in his belly was growing. As much as he would love to finish in her sweet mouth, he wanted her fully and completely. He finally pulled away with an audible pop and stared deeply into her eyes. He was so enamored with the endearing woman in front of him. Her cheeks flushed from the moment. A pirate smile crossed her lips as she stripped from her clothing.

“Your body is a treasure I'd like to plunder,” Ezra confessed.

Nora stood in front of Ezra in all her glory. His eyes darkened as they drank her in. Curves and porcelain skin begged to be grazed and worshiped. She straddled his lap and guided his cock into dripping wet pussy.

The anticipation she evoked sent shivers up his spine. Gentle nuances whispered in his ear. Brazen exuberance the consequence. His mouth crashed onto hers. Their hips ground against each other creating fire from the friction. He could smell the pheromones wafting from her taut skin.

Every touch, every kiss elicited in this fiery passion echoed in their ears. Every fiber of their being set alight from the love they created.

The want and desire. It becomes a mere memory these few moments they shared together. All seemed right in the 'verse when he held her. The promises of a brighter future then he was capable of providing for the love of his life. She would always be content with his promises. She would always be content knowing that he would be hers forever. Ezra hailed himself the victor in his battle for her. He would always win the battle.

The ceremony was the last night of the harvest moon.

\--

Nora came to sit next to Ezra at the small dining table when Cee went to her room after dinner. Ezra sat slumped in his chair and grasped her hands in his together in an unspoken prayer. His heart was heavy. His resolve was weak. No one else was in the room to see him fall apart. He felt abandoned and under vigilant eye.

“My loneliness is unfathomable. I want to join you, love. I’ve been so lost without you. I haven’t the strength left to stay. When I left, I not only lost my love, I lost my soul. I cannot make such concessions again,” he admitted to Nora.

“That's no reason to leave the hospital. You're still very sick, Ez,” Nora said as she traced her fingers down the side of his sweat glistened face.

“I cannot go back. I feel so polluted. Allow me to stay,” He gripped her hand tighter, “I know that I can be the night which you get so much comfortable from,” He leaned into her. He felt a need to begin again the day that had started out as fair and sunny and had now seemed cold and dark against her.

“I held fast my vow. You are the only love my body has ever known,” he said as he grasped her hand tightly. “My being, or what was left of it, continues on in obscurity. My soul is here,” closing the space between them. Touching his fevered forehead to hers. “You are here.”

Her eyes were glassy and red rimmed. He saw the words ready to fall from her quivering lips. Ready to shout out a reprieve. She shut her eyes.

Nora instead rose slowly and pulled Ezra along with her. She led him to her room and laid him down on her bed. She laid down beside him on his right side. She nuzzled into his side and felt the heat rising from his body. She felt his tremble as he released decades of grief. She felt his stump as it caressed the back of her neck. She felt his breath even out as he drifted to a well earned rest.

She had been lucky enough to be with Cee and Ezra throughout this journey. They leaned on each other. Without them, she felt her strength fade. She wasn’t sure how she might be able to continue. She only knew that she needed to continue for them. She didn't have to be perfect. She just had to be perfect for them.

She looked up to the ceiling. She thought that maybe she was looking for a sign from God. She didn’t often look for signs. Never felt a need to do so. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she held her breath. Nothing.

“I was sadly mistaken,” She looked back to Ezra. Of course there was no response. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her palms and sniffled. She slowly extricated herself from Ezra's side. She stood up and leaned over Ezra's sleeping form. She kissed his forehead and whispered “Goodnight my love.”

She walked out of the room and laid on the sofa.

–

The morning was cool but Ezra was warm. He woke comfortable. Unfamiliar surroundings were not unusual, but something familiar tickled his senses. The other side of the bed sank and he swore he saw her out of the corner of his vision.

\--

Nora had awoke to Ezra standing over her while she slept on the sofa. Standing might have been a poor choice of words. He was using his left hand to hold himself upright against the wall behind the sofa. Hovering over her may have been more appropriate. Ezra's fever spiked and he was hallucinating.

“Ezra? What are you doing?” Nora asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Ezra swayed a bit, but he didn't say anything. Nora managed to move into a sitting position in front of him. She was right at the height of his hips and she pushed the automatic dirty thoughts out of her head.

“Ezra?”

She could feel the heat radiating from his body. A drop of sweat fell from his nose and landed on her thigh, chilling her. She stood up and let Ezra lean against her. His arm finally withdrew from its hold on the wall and she took all his weight. She huffed as she dragged his limp body back to her bedroom. She laid him down on the bed and he reached out for her.

“What's going on?” Cee appeared in her doorway looking much younger than her actual years. Woken before the sun before school.

“Could you bring me a cold wet cloth, please? And empty that fruit bowl and fill it with cold water.”

Cee quickly disappeared to the bathroom and turned on the light. The light pierced the dark and brought everything that much clearer. He was pale and trembling. His eyes were unfocused and seemed to be looking through her.

_But it couldn't be. I left her behind. I walked away from my one true love for materialistic riches that did not bring me joy. Fire had purged the 'verse of her luscious greens and turned whatever it touched black._

“What is he talking about?” Cee asked as she returned with the wet cloth.

“He's burning up.” Nora said as she began to rub down Ezra's face. He leaned into the coolness of the cloth. He physically deflated when she returned the cloth to the bowl of cool water.

_Generations of gypsy and hunters thrived on the parched land._

“Ezra?” Nora tried but expected no answer.

_Our home was gutted. The floor was littered with fallen shelving and the strange smelling herbs and powders that the healers would use. It was Nora's. Nora's gone. Nora's gone. I have nothing left._

Nora continued through the early morning to bring Ezra's fever down naturally. His chest wound was mostly healed, but redness touched the edges and felt aflame. His wound festered deep. She considered him foolish for leaving the hospital. She considered herself a fool for allowing him to remain in her bed.

_I left my wife. I left my wife and can't find her anywhere. Her love sustained me and now I am starving._

“Maybe we should bring him back to the med center,” Nora had been waiting for Cee's suggestion for hours now. She bit at her fingernails; a nervous tick that Nora first noticed when Ezra was comatose on the freighter. She seemed to do it most when Ezra's symptoms began to worsen. She had Cee call for a delivery of ice.

Nora wondered if her new neighbors heard Ezra's moans and ramblings. He had gotten rather vocal when they dumped almost twenty pounds of ice over him in an attempt to bring his temperature down. She knew that she needed to do something more.

His face was constantly contorted in pain. His eyes unseeing and always searching. Searching for her. She slept beside him. Some part of her always touching him. Her hand on his soft belly. Her backside against his hip. Her foot draped over his calf. On nights he cried his apologies and spoke dramatically of his desire to be with her, she would wrap herself around his body to remind him that she was right there. Gentle kisses placed on his shoulder and chest. He was there but never present. He missed her so. He made sure to mention it a few times to make sure the sentimentality stuck.

On the second night his body had gone rigid and his face went slack. His eyes rolled back and he just - stopped. Cee had been reading to him at the time and her scream for help will haunt Nora. She couldn't do anything. At the hospital he would have received medicine that would have relaxed his muscles and mind. Actually it would likely have never been needed at all, because at the hospital, he would have been on intravenous antibiotics and antipyretics. His fever never would have gotten so high if he had just stayed at the hospital. She hadn't felt this helpless since the freighter. At least on the freighter she had some equipment. Some medicine. She had to do something.

She couldn't sit anymore and watch Ezra's brain cook inside his skull. He needed more help than she could provide alone. The febrile seizure was her tipping point. She had never seen Cee so scared. She couldn't do anything for Ezra while he rode out the seizure, so she wrapped her arms around Cee and rocked her while she cried.

\--

“We're just going to leave him here alone?” Cee questioned as Nora tucked Ezra tightly under the covers.

“We have to. I need your help. He needs our help,” Nora was near frantic.

“Ezra?” She sat on the bed next to him. She stroked the side of his face. “We will be back with something that will help you. Okay. Stay here. Sleep.”

_Heaven and Hell have opted not to intervene and let me destroy myself._

Cee waited in their transport vehicle while Nora went inside. The medical center was the largest planet side and the most well equipped. Nora told her she was going to get a few things. Cee is pretty sure that she left with half of the hospital.

_Can you hear my heart pound? It's as loud as thunder._

“Ez?” Nora called out as they arrived back home. He was still in her bed, soaked in sweat and melted ice.

_I didn’t understand the language. So I just walked away. Where are my socks?_

“Where did you get all this? Did you steal it?”Cee asked as Nora brought in more boxes from the transport into the flat.

“Steal? No. That would set a bad example. I'll return everything when I fix him,” She said with a hint of desperation.

She quickly set up all the equipment and plugged everything into the power converter. Nora sent up a prayer to Kevva that the converter could handle all the equipment and not trip the circuit. When everything powered up correctly she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

_My soul is broken._

Nora sent Cee out of the room as she connected Ezra's more personal bits and changed him into dry clothes. Nora then got Ezra hooked up quickly to the cardiac monitor and it immediately began to beep out an alarm.

“Ezra, I'm going to start you back on an IV. You need medicine.”

_I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed. For this, I will face eternity alone._

_A bee sting._

Cee slept on the sofa. From her vantage point she could see right into the bedroom and Ezra's sleeping form. She watched as Nora tried to ground Ezra from whatever wild hallucinations plagued his mind. Soft comforting murmurs and humming that lulled Ezra from restlessness, lulled Cee to sleep.

_You would fall asleep and I would watch your delicate bosom rise and fall. I whispered my promises of love eternal. I am penitent for breaking my promises._

Five days and nights. Nora was exhausted. Cee was helpful, but she too was extremely tired. The med center wasn't pleased that Nora wasn't showing at work, but her commitment was to Ezra and Cee. She had promised to give Cee a home. She promised Cee that she would make Ezra well. She promised Cee that all would be well, they just had to get to the other side of this.

Cee went to school while Ezra laid in Nora's bed. Leaving Nora to care for Ezra alone. He had fallen into fitful sleep beside her. She took the brief moment of quiet to step into their shower and wash off these past days.

With fresh kisses ghosting her lips and steamy water against her skin she fingered herself to climax thinking of Ezra.

As she was drying off, she heard a clatter in her room. She quickly rounded the corner to find a tangle of limbs and wires on the floor.

“Ez, get back in bed!” She rushed to his side.

_The 'verse is overwhelming. Too many sick. Too many dying. None of the herbs or elixirs are working. I searched all over for you, love. I couldn't find you_.

His hand reached in her direction, but his eyes were unfocused. Finally his hand landed on her shoulder and moved to cup her cheek. He leaned into her space and touched his forehead to hers. He didn't feel as warm as he did a few hours ago.

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and said, “Ezra, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I really wish you wouldn't either.”

She took the opportunity to change the bed linens and give Ezra a sponge bath of his own. His hand clamped around her wrist as she cleaned his penis. He begged her to touch him as a man. Nora made her promises that she was sure Ezra would forget soon.

“Do you really have to tie him down?” Cee asked when Nora restrained Ezra to the bed.

“I do.” Nora filled a syringe with a brownish liquid.

_A rush of warmth courses through my veins. The brief respite as I was not able to touch the ground._

“Sleep, Ezra. Sleep.”

_Flooded is the battlefield. There may not be a tomorrow, my love. So I declare my intentions now. I will find you. I will find the way back to you._

Nora kissed Ezra's forehead and whispered, “You keep fighting your way back to me. We'll be waiting right here for you, my love.”

\--

The words rolled around in his head as the fog lifted on his mind. He recognized the antiseptic smell of a hospital and the bright white walls gleaning into his field of vision. He also recognized the heavy leather straps tying down his wrist and ankles.

“His eyes are open,” Cee called out as she came into view. He felt the bed dip as she sat on the edge.

“Little bird,” Ezra's voice was raw and soft as a whisper.

Cee was eating a bowl of cereal and staring at him. Ezra's mind was clearer, but he remained no less confused.

He tested the limits of his bonds.

“Yeah. Stop trying to pull out your IV and leave. She'll knock you out again, you slept enough,” Cee said between bites of her morning meal.

“Slept?” Ezra questioned. He looked around the room and realized he was not, in fact, in a hospital or a medical bay, but in a proper bedroom. “Where are we? I do not recall this place.”

Cee eyes widen, “Wait! Are you actually awake? Like awake? Awake? Hey! Hey! I think he's actually awake and not hallucinating.”

Ezra continued to look upon Cee with confusion. The last of his clear moments seemed to be of the Green. He recalled the images intensely as they muddled through to the front of his mind. He remembered getting into the drop pod. He tried to feel the wound he received in his chest, but his one hand was still bound. His free shoulder reached out but he was suddenly reminded of the deficiency.

His hand stilled and looked to Cee with pleading eyes. “Untie me, little bird. I promise not to fly the coop with this broken wing.”

Cee let the spoon clatter in the bowl. She quickly moved to the other side of the bed and released Ezra's bound wrist. She moved to the foot of the bed and freed his ankles. When she stood up, Ezra saw the petite frame leaning against the door jamb. His eyes fell upon hers and they said everything that he could not. He grinned so widely, he could feel his lips cracking from the dryness.

“For my eyes they do deceive. Tell me, little bird, do you see that most beautiful woman in the doorway?”

“Yes.” Cee confirmed with a giggle.

His breath shuddered as he received the confirmation that she was indeed there, “I thought it was a dream. My fair sweet Nora,” Ezra began to climb out of bed.

Suddenly Nora and Cee were at his side as his knees buckled beneath him. They each took a side to support his weight as they guided him back into bed. Nora began to untangle him from the many bits of tubes and wires still attached to his body.

“It must be that I have died again, little bird. Only heaven could be this perfect.”

Cee chuckled and rolled her eyes. “He really missed you,” she poked at Nora.

“Yes. I know. He keeps reminding us,” Nora laughed. The sound was music to his ears even if he knew he was missing the folly.

Ezra had not yet taken his eyes off Nora since he got back in the bed. He cautiously reached out to touch her. She was firm and soft. He pulled her down to the bed with him. She was face to face with him. His hand came to rest on her chest and he felt her heart beating under his palm.

“My love. Where did you go? I came back for you but you were gone.”

Nora looked at him with a quizzical expression. She inhaled deeply when she finally followed Ezra's train of thought.

“The riots got bad the day you left. I was evacuated only two days later,” she paused and bit her bottom lip, “I didn't know you came back.”

“I returned on the third day and our home was destroyed. I had searched for you throughout the cosmos. I was certain that you had perished because my soul was incomplete.”

Ezra didn't even feel the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. Ezra turned Nora's hand in his and brought to his lips for a kiss. He inhaled deeply.

“Erratic thoughts entangle my mind. I fear I am overwhelmed with all varieties of false memories. Was I in a hospital?”

“You escaped and me and Nora had to steal all this equipment because you refused to go back.” Cee said as she jumped on the bed to sit beside Ezra.

Nora's soft expression changed, “We didn't steal. We're just borrowing till he's better.” She began physically examining him.

“My precious Nora, a thief?” He could feel himself smile as Nora shined a pen light in his eyes, “Why, little bird, you are going to have some stories to tell me, aren't you?”

“Oh my goodness, I have to tell you about how we --”

“Cee, sweetie, I think it's time for school,” Nora interrupted.

“I'll tell you everything after school,” Cee started off the bed. “You'll – you'll still be here? Right?” Cee asked Ezra with questioning eyes.

Ezra's smile faltered. He shook his head minutely, “Why wouldn't I be?”

“He's not going anywhere,” Nora confirmed to Cee with a hug and gentle forehead kiss. “Put your bowl in the sink.”

Ezra sat in awe of the familial scene. He understands that Nora and Cee had obviously bonded while he had been quite sick. To be privy to this intimacy made him feel an intruder. Words could not express the intensity of the bonds between a mother bear and her cub. Cee may not have been hers biologically, but Ezra recognized that Cee was Nora's nonetheless.

He knew these things, he thought, because he allowed himself to know. Allowed a closeness that not many men would want to know about their women. He was allowed constant reminders of their station. Women can bear fruit that men can not. For this account alone, they should be revered.

Cee patted Ezra's leg and did as she was instructed. “I'll see you after school.”

He watched as Cee walked away with the bright light of the morning sun dancing in front of her as she exited. He felt all his warmth leave with her.

He hung his head and felt her eyes upon him. He felt a shame that he had long forgotten. He reached out and grasped her right hand. He inhaled her scent and then touched her hand to his face. She sat on the edge of the bed.

“I can speak all the fancy words, but none so plain as I'm sorry,” Ezra felt his shoulders getting heavy. “I am sorry that I laid hands on you, my love. I would love to tell you that I never took another life, but I would be lying. I am not the man you married. I am not the man you want – need – me to be.”

Nora watched him intently for a moment. He knew she was choosing her words wisely. Now that he was looking at her, truly looking at her she appeared pale and drawn. She was tired. He realized she had probably been keeping a vigil over him for … however long he had been out of the 'verse. It takes only a pound of pressure to break human skin. The weight of the world must be crushing.

After several absurdly long moments she finally spoke, “Our lives are victim to entropy. This 'verse is ever changing. What happened between us is past. I forgave you years ago,” her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth again. He hadn't seen her so nervous since their first time. “I forgive you,” she continued, “I know what kind of man you are,” she paused and smiled, “You were rather chatty during your hallucinations.”

Ezra's eyes widened. “I fear I do not recall what I may have said during my convalescence.”

Nora's bottom lip disappeared again, “Did you really not sleep with anyone else in the last ten years?”

Ezra's face shifted. How much did he reveal of himself? “I, uh, honored our vow. Yes,” He looked to Nora.

She nodded. “Then I am not unusual for having done the same? My soul was also incomplete.”

Ezra laughed softly and shook his head. “I guess we were just waiting to be whole again. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“You still have a way to go before that can happen, but, yeah, we have a lot to catch up on.”

“Well I want to hear about how my malady resulted in you becoming a thief,” Ezra said with a grin.

“Well Cee has plenty that she will love to talk to you about,” Nora laughed as she started to get up from the bed.

Ezra caught her arm and turned her to face him. He leaned into her space and kissed her. It felt familiar and foreign and divine. “I have loved you my entire life. I am so happy to have found the way back to you.”


End file.
